Valentine’s Day Roundup

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching love is in the air (or yet again, it may just be your breath that you’re seeing with the ridiculous cold weather outside). Before we digress, however, let’s proudly proclaim that as hardy Canadians full of love we won’t let Mother Nature get in the way of romance. So if you still have not planned a night out with your amore on February 14, fret not, as we have compiled a list of date suggestions.

Restaurants

Levante Bistro at 180 Rideau Street is organizing a special Valentine’s menu for Ottawa couples. For a set price of $70, you can have a four-course meal for two, while being accompanied by the romantic sounds of acoustic guitar player Lucas Haneman from 6:30 to 9:30 pm (see complete menu here). If you stroll a bit further down the street, you will find Santé Restaurant at 45 Rideau Street, 2nd floor, where a special candlelight dinner is being planned.

There are also various options inside the Byward Market. Restaurant 18 at 18 York is offering a three-course tasting menu for $85, with an additional $40 if you add wine pairings. The Sidedoor at 18b York Street has a chef’s tasting menu that costs $58 per person, $40 more if you add wine pairings. Stella Osteria at 81 Clarence is offering an early-seating three-course meal for $55 per person, or a late-seating five-course dinner at $70 per person (see menus here). Cornerstone Bar and Grill at 92 Clarence has prepared a table d’hôte menu for $35 per person (download menu here). If you would rather celebrate V-day with your girlfriends, Cornerstone has a special girls’ night out option for $20, which will give you two appetizers (or desserts) as well as two signature moj-tinis.

But not all options are limited to the market. If you head east towards the Rideau River, Le Cordon Bleu Bistro @ Signatures at 453 Laurier Avenue East is offering a special dinner at $85 per person, plus $30 extra for wine pairings.

In Little Italy, the elegant Giovanni’s at 362 Preston has prepared a special lovers menu that includes a “sweetheart platter for two” for $149 that includes scampi, large prawns, sea scallops, king crab, fresh clams, mussels and seafood risotto. (For other options see here). The Black Cat Bistro at 428 Preston, meanwhile, is offering a four-course menu at $75 per person.

If you go further west, The Wellington Gastropub at 1325 Wellington Street has a special February 14 menu for $80, which includes a glass of hinterland sparkling. Finally, if you are in Manotick, the Main Street Cellar wine bar at 5561 Manotick Main Street is offering an interesting menu at $50 per person.

Other Options

The Diefenbunker in Carp is organizing a very cool dinner and movie night out where you can, and I quote, “celebrate love 75ft underground with a delicious nuclear dinner and a love story bridging the 1960’s and 1990’s.” Cost is $55 per person or $100 per couple. If you want to celebrate Valentine’s at home with your main squeeze but don’t want to cook, the Red Apron is offering a special dinner for two for $62.90, although orders had to be in a few days ago to ensure pick up on the 14th. If you want to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Friday the 15th or Saturday the 16th, you can purchase different “romantic” dinner items available in the retail store at 564 Gladstone Ave.

If you want to be outdoors with your love, then why not head down to Winterlude (schedule for February 14 here) where you can experience the romantic trio of a canal skate, beavertail and hot chocolate. If you get cold you can always head to nearby Elgin or Bank Street, depending on where you take your skates off.

Finally, while surfing the Internet for Valentine’s Day suggestions, the funniest (or is it the best) one that I saw was Funhaven in Nepean. Perhaps nothing says “I love you” more than an evening playing laser tag, driving bumper cars, playing video games and sprinting up a practice climbing wall, all while trying to squeeze past ecstatic children.

Where else will be romantic that evening, Ottawa? Add your ideas below!